The band's line-up has remained mostly static during their 26-year history, the only exception being the departure of Alec John Such in 1994, who was replaced by Hugh McDonald. The band have become known for writing several rock anthems, and achieved widespread recognition with their third album Slippery When Wet, released in 1986.

Throughout their career, the band have released ten studio albums, two compilation albums and one live album, and have sold over 120 million albums worldwide. They have performed more than 2,600 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 34 million fans, and were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006. The band was also honoured with the Award of Merit at the American Music Awards in 2004, and as songwriters and collaborators, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009.